White Indian

White Indian #1

by Donald Clayton Porter

His Land: The vast, virgin ocean of trees was his empire. He was Renno, the White Indian, the mightiest of all the Seneca braves.

Now the settlers came to sweep over his home and hunting grounds, with their strange ways, their fiery weapons - and with the beautiful Englishwoman Deborah. Her Land: Both English and French claimed the verdant New World. Some came to settle, some to steal and wage war.

Each man, woman and child found a new life. A harsh yet thrilling fate awaited Deborah--one that few women dared dream and fewer still would ever know.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Westerns, Fiction, Native American, Historical, Romance, Adult

407 pages, Mass Market Paperback

About the author

The Colonization of America series was renamed to The White Indian Series with Book V, Renno.

1914-1988.
Noel B. Gerson
aka
Anne Marie Burgess, Samuel Edwards, Leon Phillips, Donald Clayton Porter, Dana Fuller Ross (with James Reasoner)

Reviews

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this going in to high school one summer stuck at my gradfather's house. Now older, I'm still captured and have a greater understanding and appreciation for the author's attempt and being realistic for both sides of the story.

[Bryan457 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick paced story, it follows our hero, Renno, from his abduction as a baby, through the heroic exploits of his childhood and youth as he becomes an Indian warrior of exceptional strength and cunning.
This is a fun read with a great deal of detail on the early American colonies of Massachusetts bay and New York, the conflict between the colonies and the French in Quebec, and the nations of the Iroquois League and the Indian nations allied with the French.
If you look you can probably find traces of White Anglo Saxon superior breeding arrogance. Just put the superior bred man with the noble savages and breeding will tell, he will come out on top.
If you don't let that get in the way it is a great story about a boy growing up and excelling as an Indian warrior.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've heard a lot of good things about this series, so I went in with high expectations. I wasn't disappointed. Porter didn't dwell on Renno's boyhood too much, only telling key points and then fast-forwarding to his adulthood, which was appreciated. The author clearly did his homework, and wove historical events into Renno's story. The narrative was easy to read and Porter didn't feel the need to overly complicate the story with convoluted plot points, purple prose or five dollar words. The reader is able to peer into the daily lives of the Seneca Indians without getting bogged down for pages about the creation of a canoe from a tree (I'm looking at you, Auel). The story flips back and forth between the English town and its inhabitants, to the Seneca village, to the generals planning their next moves against the French, sometimes pausing to look in on the lives of some of the side characters. This kept things interesting, even if I wasn't fully invested in every side of the narrative.
The only nitpicks I have here is Renno is possibly TOO amazing at everything he does, and doesn't ever fail or do anything to draw the disappointment of his father or clan. No main characters are ever really in danger, and you know that things will go their way. That doesn't really matter so much though, as it's a really fun, engaging historical story either way.
I'm quite happy I enjoyed this first book, as I've already purchased the next several in the series- so I'll be diving into those soon!

[David Burnworth]

Renno was the only survivor of an attack on a fort by the Seneca Indians. He was saved by the chief only because the chief wanted a son. Renno grows up only knowing that he is an Indian whose skin is lighter than his red brothers. This drives him to be the best at everything he does including being the best junior warrior up to where he earns the title of senior warrior. This one takes place in the Eastern part of the united states. Maine then moves to Canada.
Renno has so many adventures in this one including learning that he is a white person when he and his Tribe befriends the English people from the same fort he was taken from. I won't give any more away but will say this is another must-read for those who like these types of stories.

[J.L. Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this entire series far more times than I might possibly count, much like a dear old friend, I simply cannot bear not visiting with him and "catching up," time and time again.

Donald Clayton Porter started this masterful series and in my opinion; when in later storylines he characters fade somewhat as Mr. Porter continually pushed out new editions it seemed to dilute the perspective of the original mind-set. In all honestly, after #10 I begin to lose interest and the it just feels to be too much along the lines of pure pulp media and like he is banging away at the keyboards strictly for the sake of monetary gain. I am not an idiot, of course that is why he writes in the first place, but the lineage simply cannot compare with Renno, the "White Indian."

Don't misunderstand me, I still own them all and love them dearly, it is just that I have read 1-10 probably a dozen and a half times each, the rs read just the once.

[Ernie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book. Not my usual genre, but Porter is beyond excellent. He is a master of historical fiction.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this series in Jr. High and LOVED it!!

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in the 80s

[Keith Gerlach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-reading the series I enjoyed so much in the 80s.

[Shane B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read in 7th grade! i was addicted and still remember a ton about the different tribes and the way it showed both sides of the story.... All hail the Iroquois Tribe!

[Phillip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freaking amazing!

[Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite series growing up.

[Paul Starr · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately this site sucks. I can’t access the books. Should have known better.

[Kelly Raines · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this when I first read it as a teenager. I've been a bit afraid to tax it as an adult. It was not as bad as I feared, and I enjoyed it. It will not be staying on my shelf though.

[Kerri Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So it was actually my Grandma who turned me on to this series of books. I was 15 years old and hanging around Rapid City South Dakota, bored out of my mind, that's when Grams opened up her attic, and it was going up those stairs where I found all her novels, including some pretty racey Victorian Mags. Those where some "Whoa damn" reads , the kinds stuff 15 year olds shouldn't read. Anyhow back to this one. Like many books that I have read there are many parts that I don't remember, and if course names of characters are long gone, which means I have to do a re-read. What a do remember is that a woman was kidnapped from her village, and somewhere during her short captivity there was a white Indian in the tribe. I do remember that it was good enough to continue reading the other books as they came out. You want a better review, read someone else's.

[Joy Kamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great series. worth reading again.

[JG (Introverted Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Great Sachem of the Seneca tribe has lost his infant son. In grief, he joins an alliance of tribes in making war on other tribes and an English settlement. In the settlement, he finds a baby boy, only a few days old, who looks at him fearlessly even though the mother has just been killed. The Sachem decides that this brave boy will become his son, so he takes the child home and raises him to become the best fighter and the wisest man of his generation. His name is Renno. As the Seneca and the settlers encounter each other more and more over the years, it becomes apparent to both that their individual needs can best be met by an alliance. Who better to form the basis of that alliance than Renno, a man with ties to both worlds?

Obvious thing first: the book wasn't very politically correct. Just look at the title: White Indian. What should it be? Caucasian Native American? I don't know. But that was the first thing to jump out at me.

Overall though, I enjoyed the book. I liked the characters and the descriptions of their ways of life, both settlers and Native Americans. The pace was good overall, only occasionally getting bogged down in description. I could have used more dialog. The book was based more on description of action than dialog, and I really do like dialog more.

Fans of westerns will like this one, even though it's not a true western (I think more of the settlers in California or New Mexico when I think of westerns). I'll keep reading the series.

[Tom Fredricks · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Bad:
Characters are pretty one-dimensional. They're either good or bad.
The main character Renno (the White Indian himself) is ridiculously awesome. He's the strongest, most handsome, best shooter (with whatever he's shooting), best fighter, ect... Oh yeah he also has an awesome bear friend who he hangs out with!

The Good:
The book is a fun read about a time in America (pre revolution colonial America) you don't see much written about.
The story is predictable, but engaging.
The characters are one dimensional, but there is still enough to them that you can like or hate them.
I do want to read the next one so how bad could it be?
I think this would be a good book for young adults (despite a bit of sex, which by the way Renno is awesome at!)

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read some of these novels. While they were somewhat by-the-numbers, the story was engaging and the pace made the novel a fun read.

While research proved some of the depictions inaccurate, it did spur my interest in the Iroquois people. I just wish the main character had been a native-born Iroquois, rather than a white man.

[Kathie Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read these books in the late 90's. We found the series a few books at a time in second hand bookstores, garage sales etc. I enjoyed them so much and since they are out of print and not in ebook format or audible I searched on ebay and found someone that had all 28 books and purchased them so I can read them all again.

[Alyx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to begin a series. I think I read it in less than a week. And I could have read it faster if I didn't have a full-time job!

Fantastic character development and story-line, especially for a first book.
I would highly recommend to anyone interested in historical fiction of this time period.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel based in part on the life of the Seneca chief Cornplanter (at least in my opinion) it takes me back to reading The Last of the Mohicans as a young boy. I love the country of "upstate" NY. A tale of war and romanace.

[Gaile · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the way the Native Americans lived and was moved by the character, Renno. This is called a western but it is from the Native American viewpoint. A white baby boy is taken into the tribe of the Seneca and raised among them

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I could not put this down, it seemed too simplistic and cliche with the author's perception of First Nations/Native Americans. I think I would enjoy it more from a real Native author, not a white man who guesses at how the Natives think and act.

[Ryan Burt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the "White Indian" series. I am not sure why I decided to read these again but I am glad I did. Takes place back in the American Colonies and centers around a young colonial taken in by the local native Americans. Great read.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series was very good and enjoyed reading the whole series...

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent historical fiction series!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

read the first 5 books in the series many years ago. loved the books collected the whole series twice. good read.

[Britta Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this series in 6th grade...loved it then don't know if my tastes are still the same though

[Macwolf01 [Elise]]

Read this series when I was a kid, would love to read it again.